Month: August 2016

Psalm 78:70-72 He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; 71 From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. 72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands.

How should Christ followers decide their vote?

Nearly all believers are discouraged, frustrated, disheartened and even disgusted by the available options for this presidential election. So the question is how will you decide? Each one is accountable to Jesus to make up their own mind.

How should Christ followers decide their vote?

There are great challenges for Christ followers in this election. Is it OK to vote for the lesser of two evils? Is it best not to vote at all? Should we write in someone or go for a third party that has no realistic chance? Where is the moral high ground?

How should a Christ followers decide their vote?

There are some very public confrontations & disagreements occurring in various media outlets used by believers. Scanning them reveals that there is no true consensus even among spiritual leaders on this question. Moments like this test both our knowledge of God and our willingness to follow Jesus.

If you follow any news feeds for very long it seems like we are living in a battleground. Some people are willing to embrace violence to make a point. Others use violent words instead. Different groups are fighting for control of our nation and its direction. Now more than ever it is critical to ask, “what is a Christ follower’s role during the conflict & turmoil that emerges national elections?”

TWO CHALLENGES:

We are Living in a Battleground. Different voices come with different values & mixed motives. The fact that we tolerate this kind of conversation in our election shows that no matter who wins we are still losing.

Followers of Jesus don’t quite fit any more. Our citizenship has changed… fully and legally at our conversion, but like all such changes it takes time to work itself out fully. We are in transition on our way to eternity! (See Philippians 1:6). If we are honest and listening to Jesus we find that we really don’t fully fit in any political parties any more. We probably never did.

Philippians 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…

CORE TRUTH: We are Citizens of Heaven and Ambassadors Here.

It is vital that we remember this. If we do, it helps us resist the temptation to join the battle in destructive ways and frees us to serve as agents of good. Notice the marks of a citizen of heaven:

Heaven’s citizens prioritize following heaven’s king.

Heaven’s citizens embrace the life values of heaven’s king.

Heaven’s citizens live as aliens and strangers among the nations.

Heaven’s citizens experience conflict with the values of the nations.

This truth leads to two clear roles we must embrace if we are going to be of any help in times like this.

First, Embrace Your Citizenship in Jesus’ Kingdom and the Values that Come with It.

Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. See also 1Peter 2:11-12

We know there are different values in different cultures! Be sure you intentionally embrace the values of Jesus. Like any immigrant learning a new culture this takes time, but it is important if we are going to experience heaven’s impact on earth. Nurture Jesus’ values in your soul and work them out in daily life. Jesus is working inside you. Embrace the lessons. Work at it like you would expect an immigrant to work at learning English, driving rules along other values & quirks of life in our country.

Second, Live as an Ambassador of His Kingdom by Representing His Kingdom Where You are Now.

2Corinthians 5:20-21 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Let the people you know about Jesus Kingdom! Show people the door to Jesus’ Kingdom. Invite people to enter His kingdom. Help them get to know its King.

The most important kingdom we can campaign for is Jesus’ kingdom. Our core message now is: the salvation you are looking for can only be found in Jesus. New tax codes won’t save you, new marriage laws won’t save you, new immigration policies won’t save you, a giant wall won’t save you and further health care reform won’t save you. What good is it to move from one fallen kingdom to another? Those things are worth talking about but with a higher perspective. Otherwise we endlessly rearrange the furniture on the Titanic.

The Kingdom of God is at hand. Its king can save you if you will embrace Him.

Psalm 113: 4 The Lord is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens.

Daniel 4:3 “…His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and His dominion is from generation to generation.

Last weekend we kicked off a critical teaching series about Following Jesus in an Election Year. If you missed it the outline is below and you can catch the full lesson at www.parkviewfamily.com. We began by covering what I believe is the single most important thing every believer needs to settle in times like this.

CHALLENGE: Don’t Let Election Politics Distract You from Living Out Core Faith in Jesus.

“Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.” Psalm 146:3

What words describe how you feel about election years? This election year? Fascinating, frustrating, exciting, maddening… What do you feel when you watch debates, ads, new talk about candidates? How do you speak about the candidates and the election in general? What are your thoughts today about voting? Can you say you are totally great with any of candidates?

For the next five weeks we are going to seek a biblical perspective on how to follow Jesus through an election season. The Bible has much to say about human government, authority and how we are to relate to them as His followers.